When complete, South Fork could generate power for 50,000 homes in the Hamptons.2 Likely taking a cue from Cape Wind’s controversy, developers emphasize that turbines will be placed 30 miles offshore — over the horizon and out of sight from land.1

The project will be built by Deepwater Wind, which will open the nation’s first offshore wind farm off Block Island, R.I. this fall.3That smaller, 30 MW project took seven years to develop4, but “probably shaved three years off of [South Fork’s] development time”, LIPA CEO Thomas Falcone told Politico.5Because both projects are located in the same federally-approved waters, he expects South Fork construction to be expedited, with power reaching Long Island customers by 2022.2

And that’s just a start. South Fork is only the first phase of a planned Deepwater ONE Wind Energy Area, spanning 256 square miles between New York and Massachusetts, with a potential for more than 1,000 MW of power.1

Two years ago, LIPA rejected a separate proposal for a 200 MW wind farm off Long Island due to an estimated $1 billion cost. However, New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s new goal to power the state with 50 percent renewable energy apparently forced LIPA to reconsider.6

Back on the table is another site: a 127-square mile Wind Energy Area (WEA)2, sitting 11 miles south of Long Island’s popular Jones Beach, which could produce 350 MW.7 Federal officials plan to auction offshore wind rights to “The Wedge”2, but conflicts with scallop fisheries, shipping lanes, and even high-frequency NOAA radars pose hurdles.7

Proposed lease for offshore wind farms on “The Wedge”, 11 miles off Long Island. (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)

Undaunted, Deepwater Wind CEO Jeffrey Grybowski says “there’s real momentum for offshore wind in the United States”,8 and proponents say 2016 could be “the year” offshore wind finally takes off in the U.S.9 It’s far behind the 12 GW of offshore wind capacity already installed elsewhere in the world (90% in Europe)8 , but it’s a start.